Magick
by UnholyUnderBoob
Summary: ON HIATUS. No-one ever expected the witch trials to come back in this day and age; hardly anyone knew there would be a reason to. People worried about false accusations; others worried about the accusations that were true. Eventual Brittana.
1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own Glee or the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**No-one ever expected the witch trials to come back in this day and age; hardly anyone knew there would be a reason to. People worried about false accusations; others worried about the accusations that were true. Eventual Brittana.**_

_**Inspired by Charmed but not a crossover.**_

Chapter 1

There is no way for Sam to escape the news that strikes fear into the heart of every magical being, every newspaper's bold font screams it at him as he walks through Lima's only mall to reach his older sister's place of work. The people around him are all talking about it and the TVs in the store windows are on different news stations, each one discussing the major event that could ruin his life. He reaches the small independent music store that Quinn runs and he slips inside, checking for customers before closing and locking the door. The woman gazes at her younger brother with a myriad of emotions in her hazel eyes, fear, anticipation and determination mingling together as she moves around the desk to embrace Sam.

"Brittany?" she asks softly.

"She's with Will, he wants to talk to us all as soon as possible. Us and his other charges" Sam explains quietly.

"Even..?"

"Yeah, even her. We gotta be more careful" the man murmurs. "This can all go away quickly if everyone is careful, if no evidence is made available to anyone. If even one conviction is made then this won't go away, it'll only get bigger" he adds seriously, looking out of the window to see the newspaper stand's message board, the bold print taunting him. **'Witch Trials are back' **"You'd think after four hundred years we'd safe" he mutters.

0-00-0

Santana sighs softly as she glances in the rear view mirror at the sleeping child in the backseat. Even at four years old, the boy looks tiny in the Carseat that's made for a toddler. Returning home isn't something she wants to do with all the danger that waits for them the sake of her children's future,Santana has to do so. She glances at her baby daughter on the other end of the backseat, grateful that she has slept through the journey just as her older brother has. The news has hit her harder than it would have had she not been a mother. Leaving her family and the magical community behind had been the hardest thing she ever had to do. She had known years ago that starting a family with one of the most powerful witches in the world was risky but she hadn't taken this risk into account. Brittany had begged her to leave with Ryan, to take him away from the danger that surrounds her at every opportunity. Despite not wanting to leave the love of her life behind, she had known it was the best thing for their son. Meeting a mortal and falling in love with her had not been a part of the Latina's plan, neither had marrying said mortal and having another child. Santana wonders how Brittany will react to meeting her wife and daughter and even how she will react when she sees her son for the first time in three and a half years. The latina turns in her seat to look at her wife, the other woman shooting her a smile before turning her attention back to the road. As worried as Santana is about coming home, she still feels relieved when they pull up outside her brother's house, knowing her sister will be there as well.

"Are you ready?" Sugar asks her quietly.

"As ready as I'll ever be" Santana mutters, unclipping her seatbelt. "I'll get Ryan" she adds, slipping out of the car and quickly gathering her sleeping son from the backseat. She walks quickly so as to get the child out of the cold winter air but she pauses at the door, unsure about whether or not to ring the doorbell or not or just walk in like she used to do. The decision is made for her when the door swings open to reveal her brother, he looks exhausted and he no longer sports the ridiculous mohawk she had always hated. "Hey" Santana whispers.

"Hi baby girl" Noah murmurs, pulling her into a hug and being careful not to crush his nephew. He guides them into the house, Sugar following closely with the baby still fast asleep in her arms. Santana stops in the doorway of the livingroom, staring at her little sister who is now grown up. Rachel had been fourteen when she had left, a bratty kid whose mission in life was to use her magic for every little thing and annoy the hell out of her siblings in the process. Now at seventeen and a half, she's a woman; almost finished high school. The latina watches sadly as the teenager glares at her before brushing passed her and storming upstairs, the door slamming closed behind her and waking the baby from her sleep.

"Lydia Grace Lopez" Santana tells her brother when she notices him gazing at the visibly upset baby girl in her wife's arms. "Like Mom" she adds quietly.

"I need to feed her" Sugar informs the latina, feeling awkwardly out of place. Noah realises that his sister-in-law needs some privacy and he gestures to the kitchen, still without speaking to the woman he has never met until now. He waits until the woman is out of earshot before turning back to his sister, his face curious.

"Is she...like us?" he asks carefully.

"No, she's human; they both are" Santana replies softly. "Sugar knows, I had to tell her. Whenever Ryan has a tantrum something blows up or disintegrates, it was safer for her to know" she explains, laying her son down onto the sofa and covering him with the blanket hanging over the old couch. She gently brushes his soft blonde hair away from his face and turns back to her older brother. "I'm sorry I haven't stayed in touch" she whispers.

"It was safer for Ryan to be away from our world" Noah shrugs, "Besides, you're here now" he states, wrapping his arms around the woman. "Does Brittany know you're back?"

"Not yet. I packed Sugar and the kids up as soon as I saw the news, we were already on the road when I called. I was gonna go round there tonight, I figured this is gonna be hard for her" the latina says. "Rachel hates me" she utters sadly.

"She doesn't hate you she's just confused. She doesn't understand it, you remember how jealous she was when Ryan was born. You did the right thing for your son and I respected your decision..still do" Noah softly states. "Brittany and Quinn have been helping her control her powers but she missed you, we all did" he adds. "You should go talk to her, you're the expert at calming her down" the man smirks, pressing a kiss to his sister's forehead.

"Okay, I guess I better go up there" Santana sighs, regretfully pulling out of her brother's embrace and heading from the room.

"San?" Noah calls after her, "I'm glad you're back" he smiles gently when their gazes meet.

"Me too, turns out there is a plus side to our world being exposed and threatened" the latina mumbles. "You look good Noah"

_**Let me know what you think and thank you for reading. To be continued...**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for all of the interest in this story so far, I hope you all continue to like this :)**_

Chapter 2

Santana knocks lightly on her younger sister's bedroom door, hearing a muffled voice telling her to go away before she can even tell Rachel that it's her. She pushes the handle down, opening the door by a couple of inches before it is slammed back in her face, being held in place by Rachel's powers. The latina scoffs and flicks her hand, the door slamming open and revealing the pissed off teenager slouching on her bed. The girl may be powerful but at her young age she is no match for her older sister and both of them know it.

"You're mad at me" Santana states, it's not a question. The latina perches on the edge of her sister's bed and gazes at her.

"Of course I'm mad! You've called four times in three and a half years, four times!" Rachel snaps. "You just forgot about all of us and ran off like some tramp and you didn't even mention that you were planning on having another kid!"

"Because I didn't" Santana shrugs. "I met Sugar seven months ago, she was pregnant when I met her, I spent almost three years pining over this damn place and trying to move on with my life so that my son could have some semblence of a normal life! For almost three years I cried over Brittany and over you guys, that doesn't make me a tramp" the latina states, the hurt evident in her voice and on her features. "You know why I left and you can't seriously think for one second that I forgot about you guys because if you do then you don't know me at all. Maybe I could have done it better but I was scared, we were being attacked all the time and Ryan wasn't even old enough to stand up never mind fight for his life so I did what I had to do to protect my child" Santana explains passionately. "Brittany told me to keep him safe so I did just that, I'm a mother Rachel"

"You were a mother before Ryan came along" the young brunette mutters bitterly, tears stinging at the corner of her chocolate brown eyes. Santana feels like her heart is breaking in half as she looks into her baby sister's hurt filled eyes, realising what the teenager is telling her. How could she have never realised that Rachel had seen her as a maternal figure? Noah had been seventeen when their mother was killed, she had been fifteen and Rachel had been five, of course their relationship would be more than the average relationship between sisters, why hadn't she noticed this before? "You left me behind" Rachel tells her sister before standing up and storming from the room while Santana watches her with tear filled eyes. Some things would never change, only Rachel Barbra Lopez could storm out of her own bedroom.

0-00-0

Noah smiles awkwardly at Sugar as she passes the glass of soda to her, the woman accepting it with a murmured thanks and sitting down on one of the kitchen chairs after the man gestures to it.

"You have questions" Sugar states knowingly. "She's not Santana's" the woman murmurs, jerking her head down in Lydia's direction.

"She's not?" Noah asks with a furrowed brow.

"Well she is in every way that matters. I was pregnant with Lydia when I met Santana" Sugar clarifies. "We've known each other for seven months and we've been married for two" she adds. "Santana has treated me like a queen since the day we met and she saved both mine and Lydia's life while I was in labour and she has been a mother to Lydia ever since she was born six weeks and I treat Ryan as my own. Santana is an important person in Lydia's life and your mother was important to her so it felt only right to honour her name" the woman explains.

"How did she save your life?" Noah asks and Sugar suddenly regrets opening her mouth, sensing that he isn't going to like the answer. "Did she use her magic?" he asks in a low voice, his jaw clenching as he waits for her response.

"Yes" They both turn to see Santana standing in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest as she leans against the door frame, her dark eyes boring into her older brother's hazel ones. "Babe, could you give us a minute?" she asks Sugar, the other woman nodding and leaving the kitchen with Lydia.

"You used magic?" Noah hisses. "On someone you've only known for a few months?"

"Keep your damn voice down!" Santana whispers furiously as she pushes herself away from the doorframe and closes the kitchen door. "What the hell else would I do? She and Lydia would have died" she snaps.

"You left to protect Ryan, to get away from this world. Using magic while you're away from us is quite possibly the dumbest thing you have ever done. What would you have done if you were located by a demon or a warlock and attacked? Would you have been able to defend all of you by yourself?"

"I've fought off demons before Noah! Don't berate me like a child, I'm twenty seven years old" Santana states angrily, her dark eyes flashing and Noah can tell her infamous temper is about to rear it's ugly head.

"I know you have San but our powers are stronger when we're together, none of us are strong enough to take on a higher level demon on our own" he says calmly, knowing that his sister's powers become erratic if she is not in control of her anger. "I get that they're your family now, okay I get it but so are we and you could have gotten yourself hurt or killed. I'm your big brother, it's my job to worry about you and that's all I've done for three and a half years and it turns out I've had a good reason to be worrying" he adds softly, pulling his sister towards him and wrapping his muscled arms around her. "Sam is coming over later to talk to us, we need to find out as much as we can about these trials and who set them off, are you gonna be okay if Brittany is with him?" Noah asks quietly and the latina nods against his chest.

"Yeah, I'll have to be"

_**Please review.. I'm hoping to update every day or at least every other day. Brittany and Santana will see each other for the first time in years next chapter!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter! I really appreciate them :)**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 3

Quinn follows her brother into the Lopez household, sensing Rachel's distress as soon as she crosses the threshold. The emotions in the whole house are enough to give her a headache. Her power of empathy, which she sometimes views as a curse, magnifies every emotion and while she senses badly concealed distress from everyone; Rachel's stands out the most. She follows Sam and Noah into the livingroom where Santana and Rachel are sitting on seperate ends of the sofa with Sugar awkwardly sitting between them, the tension between them almost knocking Quinn on her ass. Santana stands as she notices the two blondes, watching them warily, shocked when Quinn walks towards her and engulfs her in a tight embrace. The latina sinks into her friend's hold, grateful that she is still accepted by her despite her long absense for all of their lives.

"You look good" Quinn murmurs. "Noah told us about your wife and daughter" the blonde woman states simply as she pulls away from the woman.

"I'm sorry, I.."

"Don't apologise" Sam interrupts, his voice tender as he steps forward and wraps his arms around the latina. "It's good to see you, we've missed you" the man murmurs.

"I missed you too, all of you" Santana replies, ignoring Rachel's scoff despite how guilty the simple noise makes her feel. "I wish I wasn't back for such a horrible reason..." she trails off as she notices Ryan standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes sleepily with one hand while the other clutches a stuffed toy, looking adorable with his mussed hair and spiderman pajamas. The others follow her line of sight, Quinn gasping softly when she sees the boy, her hand on her heart. "Hey baby, what are you doing out of bed?" Santana asks softly, walking over to her son and crouching down in front of him. The young boy shyly buries his face in Santana's sweater, his arms wrapping around her neck, unsure of the people staring at him. The latina stands up with her son in her arms and walks back to Quinn and Sam "This is your uncle Sam and your aunt Quinn" Santana tells Ryan softly, his blue eyes watching the two new people carefully.

"Hi" he whispers, still tucked against his mother's body, his head laying on her shoulder.

"Hi Ryan" Quinn murmurs kindly, her hazel eyes shimmering with unshed tears, overwhelmed with seeing her nephew for the first time in over three years. She can sense his nerves so she doesn't reach out to him, only taking the smallest of steps forward.

"We haven't seen you since you were just a tiny baby so it's okay that you don't remember us" Sam states gently. "But we remember you and we've missed you so much" he adds. Ryan lifts his head to look up at Santana, the latina giving him a reassuring smile and nod. "You like Spiderman, huh?" Sam asks, gesturing at the boy's pajamas, "That's really cool, I love Spiderman. Do you like Batman too?" the man asks.

"He has a cape" Ryan states quietly and Sam nods.

"That's right, he does" the blonde man smiles, Quinn noticing just how much the two look alike.

"I'm sorry but we should really talk about...you know..." Noah tells them regretfully and Sam nods.

"I'll take Ryan back to bed" Sugar tells Santana, standing up and holding her arms out to Ryan who happily leans forward into them. The latina kisses her son's forhead and murmurs goodnight to him as her wife leaves the the room with him in her arms.

"Whenever you want to see him..." Santana tells Sam and Quinn, both of them smiling gratefully at her and nodding.

"He's beautiful" Quinn murmurs.

"Yeah..Yeah he is" the latina agrees.

0-00-0

Santana listens silently as Sam tells them everything he knows about the return of the witch trials, her skin crawling with unease as she hears about the man caught using magic and how the authorities had killed him and were still holding his family in some hidden location. The man had been saving someone's life and had vanquished a demon in front of a crowd of college students. His prize for saving an innocent person's life? Death. She wants to ask what Sam knows about the man's family, if his kids are okay but the latina has a feeling that he's holding that information back for a reason and it only serves to make her feel ill.

"How did they do it?" They all turn to Rachel, the girl had been silent up until now. "How did they kill him?" she asks.

"You don't need to know that" Santana states firmly.

"Don't try and protect me now!" the teenager snaps. "I have a right to know, I'm just as much at risk as the rest of you" Rachel adds angrily. "Sam?"

"They shot him but they're building something in the centre of town, something that looks like a... " Sam breaks off, swallowing heavily.

"What Sam?" Santana urges.

"A pyre" the blonde man whispers and Quinn reels backwards just from the sheer force of Rachel and Santana's emotions, feeling herself being steadied by Noah's strong and capable arms. The two men exchange a nervous glance, both of them working out what to do and how to protect their families.

"They're gonna burn us" Rachel whimpers, shrugging off the supportive hand that Santana lays on her shoulder.

"No. They're not going to burn any of us because we are not gonna get caught, we're gonna be careful and we won't use magic for trivial things and we will not discuss it with anyone" Noah orders. "If we're caught, we'll be on the run for the rest of our lives so take this seriously" he adds, looking directly at Rachel. "And if it comes to it then we may need to bind Ryan's powers until he's old enough to control them" the man states gently to Santana.

"That's not just my decision" the latina murmurs, glancing at Quinn and sam who immediately understand.

"We'll talk to her tonight, we have to go check on one of our friends from another coven, nobody has seen her for a while, Brittany will be there" Sam replies. "You guys need to talk" he adds, Santana nodding.

"Anything we need to be worried about?" Noah asks.

"Hopefully not, Holly likes to disappear every so often but I just can't imagine her leaving while this is going on. We'll let you know if there is any reason to be suspicious" Sam murmurs.

0-00-0

Sam watches carefully as Brittany paces back and forth in the small apartment, his powers allowing him to observe her through the solid brick wall. He glances at Quinn who is deep in concentration, focusing completely on their surroundings, her eyes completely white. She can't sense any other supernatural presence apart from them and it both relaxes her and unnerves her at the same time. The strong scent of urine and cheap alcohol fills her nostrils and the weak image of an apparently homeless man appears in her mind. The woman forces herself to look beyond his dirty and disheveled appearance and ignore his putrid scent, focusing on his natural scent instead; human.

"It's clear" she nods, knowing she'd notice his acknowledgment, despite her whited out gaze. He glances back up at Brittany, seeing that she is no longer pacing but is leaning against the wall and examining her nails in a bored fashion. "She wants to know if she can come back down" Quinn tells him.

"Tell her it's fine, Holly clearly isn't going to be back tonight" the man sighs, running his hand through his blonde hair. He watches as his younger sister leaves their mentor's apartment, manipulating the bolt back into place and making her way through the dimly lit stairwell. "I'm right to be worried, right?" Sam asks uncertainly, turning to face his older sister as her eyes turn hazel again.

"I trust you and if your instincts are telling you that something is wrong then I'm inclined to think that too" Quinn tells him.

"I feel like there's a but coming" Sam mutters.

"But..." the woman states apologetically, "There isn't anything to back your concerns up. There is nothing out of place and I can't sense anything wrong. She's not our teacher anymore, she may still be our friend but she isn't at our beck and call anymore" she explains softly as Brittany comes out through the fire escape door. "She's probably busy training other witches and it's not fair for us to take up all of his time now" Quinn adds.

"Well, this was a colossal waste of time!" Brittany huffs. "I'm out, catch you guys at home" she adds.

"Where are you going?" Quinn asks.

"To get drunk" is the younger woman's simple response as she turns away from them, sauntering down the alley.

"Now there is someone you can worry about" Quinn remarks sadly, watching their younger sister go.

_**Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews, I really appreciate them and they totally inspire me to keep going with the story.**_

_**Flashbacks are in italics.**_

_**R&R please**_

Chapter 4

Santana sits on the doorstep as she watches Sam and Noah play soccer with Ryan in the back yard, the boy slowly coming further and further out of his shell around the two men and Santana knows that he'll be able to sense the connection he has with them and will know he can trust them. She feels someone sit down next to her and she can tell without looking that it's Quinn, feeling calming waves roll over her and rolling her eyes.

"I'm fine Quinn" she mutters, "The emotional overhaul wasn't necessary" she adds.

"Yes it is" Quinn replies softly and the latina knows what she is talking about before the blonde can even tell her, she can feel that familiar presence, the presence she hasn't felt in over three years; Brittany. She turns around and her breathe catches in her throat as she takes in the sight of her ex and the mother of her son standing in the doorway, the sunlight hitting her golden blonde hair and causing her sky blue eyes to sparkle. For a moment it feels like they are the only two people in the world, their eyes meet and Santana holds the other woman's gaze, feeling tears well in her eyes and her vision blurs. Santana hates the fact that her heart aches as she stares at Brittany, feeling like she is betraying Sugar and the life they have built. She glances at Quinn as she moves away from them, their intense emotions obviously becoming too much for her and she wishes this wasn't the case, wishes that she didn't still feel this way around Brittany.

"Hey" the tall blonde murmurs lamely.

"Hey" Santana replies softly. "It's good to see you" she whispers, knowing the woman would still here her. The latina watches as piercing eyes move away from her, settling on Ryan instead and filling with a myriad of emotions as she watches her child play with his uncles. All she can think about is the last time she seen him, remembering how it felt when she had watched him and Santana leave her behind. Her mother had told her that having a child was like having your heart running around outside of your body and she agrees, when Ryan left it had felt like her heart and soul had gone with him.

_"Britt, I can do this. We can't leave you, come with us" Santana pleads, her dark eyes boring into clear blue as her tanned hands grab onto Brittany's arm. "We can protect him, we won't let anything happen to him, I promise you" the latina murmurs, her voice thick as she struggles to swallow the huge lump rising in her throat._

_"There's an attack on us several times a week, demons are after me. You need to take Ryan and go somewhere safe and stay there" Brittany states, her voice wavering as she struggles to remain stoic. "He'll be safer if he's away from me and you are the only person who can give him what he needs" the blonde adds softly. Santana moves away from her, her back to the taller woman while she composes herself, unable to look at the woman she loves so much that at this moment, it actually hurts. She walks across the bedroom, listening carefully to try and work out which members of their family are listening in. __Santana stares at her girlfriend in disbelief as she closes their bedroom door in an attempt to give them some privacy, something that isn't really possible in a house full of witches. She glances down at Ryan as he sleeps peacefully in his crib, so innocent and blissfully unaware of the horrors in their world. The dark haired woman tries to understand what Brittany is saying to her, the blonde had never looked so serious before, her body bruised and sweaty from yet another battle with demons. The ex dancer stands firm and watches Santana carefully, not at all surprised at her response._

"Baby...I can't leave you, you can't ask me to do this" Santana whimpers, tears dripping from her eyes and leaving trails of mascara on her golden skin.

"I'm not asking you Santana, I'm telling you to do this for the sake of our child" Brittany murmurs, cupping the latina's face in her hands, her heart breaking as she watches her beautiful features crumple with dispair. "You need to do this sweetheart. I need to know our beautiful boy is safe and the only person who can do that is you. The source doesn't know about you, your powers are protected"

"Brittany, please. I need you" Santana sobs.

"I love you both so much, so, so much" Brittany whispers, leaning forward and capturing the latina's full lips in a slow, sweet kiss, their tears mingling together and their hands desperately pulling at each other's clothes. 

Santana is pulled from her thoughts by the piercing cry of her daughter and she looks up to see her wife standing behind Brittany, the two women watching each other warily as Santana stands up and walks over to them, taking Lydia into her arms. She bounces her daughter gently as she glances back to Brittany, not missing the sadness in those crystal blue eyes.

"It's nice to meet you Brittany, I'm Sugar...Santana's wife" Sugar states, sticking her hand out for the blonde to shake. Santana rolls her eyes at her wife's lack of tact, knowing the woman is trying to silently assert her place in the latina and Ryan's life, making sure that Brittany knows her relationship with Santana is strong and won't be threatened. "And this is our daughter, Lydia" Sugar adds.

"She's beautiful" Brittany murmurs, gazing at her ex over the top of Sugar's head. "Can I..?" the blonde asks, looking in Ryan's direction.

"You don't have to ask Britt" Santana replies softly. "He's your son" she murmurs, sharing a small smile with the taller woman and watching silently as Brittany slowly wanders across the yard, Noah and Sam instantly stopping their game as she reaches them. Ryan eyes Brittany curiously, his baby blue eyes darting to Santana and the latina nods encouragingly, noticing the look of utter disbelief on Sugar's face as Ryan hugs his mother.

"The magical connection is powerful, he knows who she is" Santana explains for her wife's benefit, the shorter woman nodding curtly, a look of jealously flashing across her features. "It doesn't mean he isn't going to care about you anymore" the latina states gently, swaying slightly to calm her still crying daughter. Santana turns her attention back to Brittany and Ryan, feeling Quinn's eyes on her and ignoring her, forcing herself to clear her mind so the empath can't feel her mixed emotions; her feelings towards the two blondes in the back yard.

_**To be continued... Thank you for reading, please leave a review to let me know what you think. :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so much for the reviews, I appreciate every single one of them and they totally inspire me!**_

_**I'm working on getting longer chapters out for this so there may be a few days between updates but hopefully they're worth the wait.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 5

Brittany can't stop the surge of jealousy that hits her as she watches Sugar wrap her arms around Santana from behind and she knows that her sister can feel her sudden change in emotion by the sympathetic gaze the hazel eyed blonde sends her from across the room. Quinn doesn't even attempt to alter her younger sister's emotions, knowing the taller woman would just shrug the calming waves off and that her myriad of emotions are understandable. She meets Sam's eyes as he walks into the room with Ryan on his back, spotting the worry written all over his face despite his best attempts to hide it. Her smile is genuine as she watches her brother and nephew interact, noticing the similarities between them, both in appearance and personality.

"It's weird, huh?" Noah murmurs to her as he sits down on the sofa next to her, placing his arm loosely along the top of the sofa and, for once, it isn't a flirty gesture. She nods, feeling a swell of sadness hit her from Rachel and she glances up at the ceiling, wishing she could say something to comfort the teenager but knowing the girl needs Santana to be the one to go up there, even if the girl won't admit it.

"Weird is one word for it" Quinn mutters, glancing at Noah curiously; she had never been able to get a good read on his emotions, he has always been able to block her powers. "Rachel's in a bad place" she adds, cursing herself for her bad timing when Santana freezes on her way passed them, the latina no longer interested in going into the kitchen. Dark, almost black, eyes bore into Quinn's for a moment before she makes some sort of decision and heads into the kitchen afterall. The blonde pats Noah's knee as she stands and follows the other woman, finding her rooting around in the kitchen cupboards. "Are you okay?" she asks softly.

"Everything's different" Santana murmurs, not stopping her task as Quinn stands in the doorway.

"It is" Quinn agrees. "Nobody thought we'd ever see you again, they had to try and move on and it's taking some time for people to get used to you being back" she explains.

"I was meaning the kitchen...nothing is in the same place anymore" the latina tells her with a signature eye roll. "I need to find Rachel's glass...the one with the star on it" she adds.

"She doesn't have it anymore" the blonde murmurs softly, "She threw it out a few years ago"

"After I left?" Santana asks, already knowing the answer even before the other woman nods. "I screwed up, I was so busy thinking about Ryan that I just left and I didn't think about how it would effect Rachel" she grumbles sadly, closing the cupboard door with a slam and turning to lean her back against the edge of the counter.

"You were being a mother, you did what you needed to do to protect your child Santana. It sucks but it needed to happen and Rachel will understand that, eventually" Quinn comforts her.

"Rachel told me I was a mother before Ryan...She saw me as her mother and I left her" the latina states, her dark eyes filling with guilty tears as she stares intensely at the tiled floor. "How the hell do I fix this? How the hell do I make up for three and a half years?" she asks brokenly while Quinn steps closer to her but doesn't reach out, knowing the latina doesn't like to be touched while she's upset, only two people were ever able to successfully approach her when she is like this, her mother and Brittany. "Please Quinn..What do I do? How do I fix this?" Santana asks softly, her dark eyes pleading with Quinn, begging her to have the answers she needs. The blonde gazes at her sadly, not used to seeing the other woman look so vulnerable. Even after her mother had died, Santana had been so strong, she had thrown everything she had into looking after Rachel and keeping her safe. There had been fire and strength in those almost black eyes and now there is weakness and worry and fear.

"Be honest with her" Quinn eventually shrugs. "Don't tell her you're back for good if you're not" she adds.

"I'm not leaving again" Santana states stubbornly. "Not now, we need to be together. If, god forbid, the witch hunters find out about us then we need to be able to fight together. I won't let anyone I love get hurt because of how we were born" she tells Quinn seriously.

"Does Sugar know this?" the blonde asks carefully, feeling Santana grow uncomfortable and watching with a slight smirk as the Latina picks at her nails. "So, no?"

"She'll understand" Santana sighs, "Right?"

"I don't know her well enough to answer that, the only conversation we've had was when she asked me to explain the meaning of controversial" Quinn replies, a glint of amusement in her hazel eyes.

"She's an amazing person!" Santana retorts defensively as Quinn holds her hands up in surrender. "And she's a fantastic mother" the Latina adds softly and Quinn nods, choosing to ignore the topic of conversation that begs to be brought up; Brittany.

0-00-0

Rachel gazes into the mirror, her hands bracers on either side of the bathroom sink as she sighs heavily. Her usually beautiful brown eyes are bloodshot and swollen, fresh tears leaking down her cheeks after she had long ago given up trying to dry them. She feels older than her seventeen years, god knows she's had to act older than she is for the last few years. Rachel wishes she wasn't so angry with Santana, wishes that she could give into the impulse to run into her older sister's arms and be comforted by her but the hurt that flows through her when she sees her makes it almost impossible for the teenager to even look into Santana's eyes. She rolls her eyes when someone knocks on the bathroom door, knowing who it is straight away, Santana and her awful timing.

"Go away. Use the other bathroom" Rachel snaps, groaning in frustration as she watches in the mirror as the lock slides open. She considers fighting but knows it's pointless, Santana has already proved that she can overpower her. "The incredible amount of privacy that I've lost since you came back astounds me" she mutters darkly while her sister walks into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her.

"I understand that you're mad at me and I don't blame you but can you at least hear me out?" Santana asks calmly, closing the lid of the toilet and sitting down on it, facing her younger sister. She sighs softly as Rachel stubbornly avoids looking at her, her arms crossed across her chest as she glances at the door and Santana can tell that she is trying to calculate her chances of getting out of the room without talking to her. The latina watches her for a few moments, not at all surprised when the younger girl lunges forward and attempts to unlock the door, Santana raising her hand and easily holding it in place as she stands up. "Please baby girl" she pleads softly, surprised when she is sent reeling backwards into the bathroom wall. Santana stares at Rachel in disbelief, the teenager looking just as shocked, as if she can't believe that she just did that.

"I..you should have left me alone" Rachel bites out, refusing to apologise to the person who had hurt her so badly, the person who had abandoned her. "Just because you want to talk now doesn't mean I want to! Do you know how many times I wanted to talk to you but couldn't because you were away starting a new family?" she yells at her, hot angry tears cascading from her stinging eyes.

"I was adding to my family, not starting a new one" Santana tells her, her voice still eerily calm, something that only serves to anger Rachel further. "Do not use your powers on me" she adds firmly.

"Why the hell not? You used your powers to invade my privacy!" the teenager retorts furiously, glaring at her older sister.

"But I didn't use them on you, I would never use them on you" Santana states sternly.

"Well I guess I won't find out since you'll be out of here as soon as the witch hunters disappear" the younger girl bites out.

"I'm not going anywhere babe, I promise you I'm not leaving again. I'm so sorry, I panicked and I thought I was doing the right thing and I'm just so sorry Rachel. I love you so much and I'm here to stay" Santana murmurs, taking a tentative step forward, prepared to ward off Rachel's power this time.

"Don't say that, don't make promises you won't keep" Rachel whispers, her face crumpling with despair. "Please..please don't do that" she cries out as Santana strides across to take her into her arms, Rachel violently attempting to push her away. The latina holds her tightly while she fights against her before weakly sinking into the embrace and sobbing into her sister's shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere baby...I'm not going anywhere" Santana whispers tenderly, rubbing soothing circles on the girl's back and softly kissing the top of her head, her heart breaking as she realises just how much her leaving had broken Rachel. "I'm staying right here"

_**To be continued.. Thank you for reading, please leave a review to let me know what you think! :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter, I got caught up with my other stories. Thank you for the amazing reviews for this story so far, I appreciate them so much!**_

_**Flashbacks are in italics.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 6

_He wishes she felt more than empty, he wishes his eyes weren't so achingly dry and that he didn't feel so damn empty. Watching his mother's coffin being lowered into the ground shouldn't feel like a chore, he shouldn't be feeling so impatient. His eyes dart around the cemetery nervously, waiting for the source to appear and take his chance to finally end the lives of the Lopez children but nothing happens. The whole place sounds so eerily quiet despite the desperate sobs that come from his sisters and Brittany. Quinn had already been escorted from the immediate area by Will. The sheer force behind everyone's emotions had almost caused her to black out, everyone's but his. He wonders if Quinn can sense anything from him, just a small twinge of emotion to prove that he isn't dead inside. He can't even bring himself to listen to the minister, he doesn't need to hear some stranger tell him how wonderful his mother was, he knows._

"Noah" He turns to face the man who has placed his hand on his shoulder. Feeling only confusion when he looks into his father's dark eyes, eyes Santana had inherited. He can't understand why the man who had left them so long ago would come to his Mother's funeral. Perhaps, it's to work off some of the guilt he feels at leaving his family behind to pursue a career in music, a career that never happened. "It's over" his father murmurs and Noah realises that the crowd around his mother's grave has broken up. "They're headed to the house, we need to go buddy"

"I'm not your buddy" Noah snaps, brushing his father's hand away. "Don't bother coming back to the house. We don't want you there" he adds Berry doesn't deserve to be here, doesn't deserve to cry over the woman he left behind. His Father doesn't argue, just gazes at him with dark pitying eyes. Noah pushes passed him and strides across the grass to the gates where Sam is waiting for him, the other man watching him carefully. Sam doesn't say anything, there's nothing he can say and he seems to be the only one who realises that. Everyone else, even people who are strangers to him and his sisters, felt the need to try and make him feel better, to promise him that things will get better or to tell him that his mother is proud of him. He knows that, she told him that at every oppurtunity. Maribel Lopez is..was perfect. 

Santana bounces gently as she paces back and forth in the kitchen with Lydia in her arms, thankful for the silencing spell she had placed on the kitchen so that the baby's loud screams won't wake everyone up. Nope, it's only Santana that's blessed with the ringing in her ears that is the result of an unhappy Lydia.

"Come on princesa, give your old Mama a break" the latina murmurs pleadingly as she respositions the tiny girl in her arms.

"Whoa..." Santana turns to see Rachel stepping back out of the kitchen and back into the silence, her eyes still half closed as she peers into the dimly lit kitchen, the only light source is the small light underneath the top cupboards. Santana watches in amusement as her sister has an internal battle with herself, assuming she's trying to work out if it's really worth it to walk back into the loud room. "She's got a healthy set of lungs on her" the teenager states as she finally steps back into the kitchen.

"Yeah she definitely has" Santana chuckles. "Nice silencing spell though, huh?" she grins. "How are you doing?" the woman questions more soberly.

"I'm..better" Rachel murmurs softly, looking extremely relieved when Lydia's wails die down to sniffles while her Mother gently rubs her back. "Noah told me why she has Mom's name, I would have done it too..used magic, I mean. She's beautiful" the girl smiles softly. "When she's not at risk of screaming and damaging my hearing..can I hold her?"

"Of course. You can hold her anytime you want, she's gonna need her Aunt Rachel and so will Ryan" Santana responds seriously. "I meant what I said babe, I'm not going anywhere" she adds honestly.

"What if Sugar wants to leave?" Rachel asks in a small voice, not missing the conflict on her older sister's face. "If she wants to go, are you gonna leave?"

"The only way I'm leaving here is if you are with me" Santana murmurs, "And for the record, I'm not asking you to do that, I know you have school and a life here. Wherever you are, I'll be right there beside you" she states with passion.

0-00-0

_The sheets still smell like her mother and they are still unmade from when she had jumped out of bed that night to run to her children's aid, her power of premonition had given her a few vital minutes to cloak her children's powers...to hide their existence from the warlocks. She lived out her last minutes as she had lived the last seventeen years; protecting her children. Santana wishes that would ease the ache in her heart but it only serves as a reminder that the person who loved she and her siblings the most in the whole world is gone. The woman she looked up to, the woman she strived to be..gone. Her eyes burn from all the tears that have leaked from them, she had cried more than she had ever thought was possible and she hates herself for being so weak. She needs to be there for Rachel, to guide her and help her grow up to be the woman her mother would have made her to be. Their powers are still protected, they should be safe..as long as they don't bring attention to themselves then they should be fine. Her mother had given them two things when she left this world, her life in exchange for theirs and the chance to live a normal life. The guilt that gnaws at her gut makes her feel like she is one of them..evil. Santana buries her face into the pillows, inhaling her mother's scent and leaving wet tear stains on the fabric._

_"Please come back..please, I need you mommy" she whimpers. "I need you" she repeats, her voice a mere whisper._

_"Tana?" The teenager looks up at the sound of her little sister's voice, painfully hot tears running from her sore and swollen eyes as she gazes at the five year old. Her heart breaks just at the thought of this little girl only having a few years with the most beautiful woman any of them had ever known and is now faced with growing up without her._

_"Hey baby girl" Santana croaks, watching as Rachel's face crumples with confused and heartbroken sobs and she forces herself to stand up, to push her own sadness aside to help the innocent child. The latina scoops her baby sister into her arms, rocking her gently as the tiny girl buries her tear stained face into her neck "You're okay, I'm right here..I've got you" she murmurs as soothingly as her raw throat allows her to. She carefully walks out of their mother's bedroom, transferring Rachel to one arm as she closes the door behind them, almost walking straight into Brittany._

_"Hey" the taller girl murmurs lamely, her baby blues bloodshot and watery as she pulls her girlfriend into a hug, one of her hands soothingly rubbing Rachel's back. "You wanna go to your room?" she asks, feeling Santana nod against her shoulder. She leads the two sisters into Santana's bedroom and watches as the latina crawls onto the bed, laying on her side with her tiny sister still in her arms. Brittany carefully joins them, she too laying on her side so she can look at Santana and she throws her arm across them, protectively holding both brunettes. Neither of them speak, they just gaze at each other silently with Rachel lying between them, her soft cries the only sound in the room._

_**To be continued.. I know it's a little shorter than expected but I felt like this part of the story needed to stand alone in it's own chapter. Please let me know what you think. Thank you for reading.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you very much for the reviews for the last chapter, so glad you guys are still enjoying this!**_

_**R&R please :)**_

Chapter 7

Noah can't stop the smile that pulls at his lips as he watches his sisters argue as they walk behind the rest of them in the dark park, it reminds him of how things were before Santana left. He can hear Rachel struggling to get in a word edge ways as Santana lectures her about the safety in numbers while face to face with demons and how running after a cowardly one isn't in the game plan. The smile leaves his handsome face as Quinn suddenly throws an arm across his chest, stopping him from walking any further. She silently shakes her head and shares a look with Brittany who shrugs and gestures to Sam who shakes his head. Quinn looks back and Santana and Rachel ago have stopped arguing for a moment due to Quinn's sudden silence. Where is the fear coming from? Brittany whips around when she hears a sudden noise, throwing her hands up and freezing a blackbird in midair, Rachel giggling softly.

"There's someone else here" Quinn murmurs. "Their fear isn't very strong..it feels more like they're nervous than scared..it's like I know them" she states more to herself than the others.

"It's not an innocent?" Brittany questions, waving her arm and freeing the bird.

"No. I don't think so, anyway. I recognise them, can you hear their thoughts?" Quinn asks Sam and he nods, glancing at Santana warily with a frown on his face. "What? Can you tell who it is?" Quinn demands and he nods again. "Who?"

"Sugar" Sam murmurs so quietly that they have to strain to hear it and Santana's face darkens, as does Brittany's.

"Sugar!" Santana calls out furiously, her jaw clenching as her wife peeks out from around a tree and she storms over to her, missing the smirk that crosses Brittany's face. "What the fuck are you doing here?" she hisses, her eyes darkening as she glares at her wife. "Please tell me you did not leave the kids at the house...tell me you didn't leave my four year old son with our newborn baby!" Santana adds furiously.

"_Your_ son? Did you really just say that to me?" Sugar asks in shock, surprise registering on Santana's face as she realises that she did in fact say that. "He has powers and they are both asleep" she defends.

"You left Ryan at the house?" Brittany asks dangerously as she walks over to them. "Why the hell would you do that? You have no right to be out here" she snaps and Santana lays her hand on the blonde's arm, the taller woman calming slightly at the familiar touch, Sugar narrowing her eyes at the interaction. The scream from a short distance from them comes as a shock and Santana pushes Brittany behind her as she whips around to face the person who screamed, her pulse racing as she faces the demon. The yellow eyed evil being holds his grimy arm around a young woman's neck as she stares at Santana in horror, her wide, blue eyes pleading with the latina to help her. Brittany reacts first, freezing both the innocent and the demon as the others join them, Sugar staring at Santana with hurt all over features but the latina is far too angry with her to even notice.

"Shelby!" Noah calls, the group waiting silently until a blue light fills the darkness beside them as their whitelighter joins them in the park, the woman glancing around her and taking in the scene around her.

"I thought you said there was only one innocent" Shelby states to Noah, gazing at Sugar curiously.

"Shelby" Santana greets, stepping out of the shadows. "This is Sugar, my wife" the latina states softly and the older woman stares at her in disbelief. "I'm sorry, I should have told you I was back" she adds, watching out of the corner of her eye as Sam plunges an athame into the back of the demon and catching the girl as she falls from the demon's loosened arms.

"I should get you guys out of here" Shelby murmurs, her eyes never leaving Santana as she holds her hands out, everyone joining hands in a circle, Noah and Sam holding onto the innocent as Shelby orbs them from the park.

0-00-0

Shelby shares a concerned glance with Noah as they hide out in the kitchen, avoiding the arguments that are taking place in other rooms of the house, Santana's voice the loudest of all..Sugar's a close second. They listen as the latina's wife accuses her of trying to edge her out now that she and Ryan are near Brittany again, Santana yelling at her to stop being ridiculous and Noah raising his brow. He had seen how his sister has pulled Brittany behind her when the demon appeared, seemingly not even thinking about her mortal wife who had no way of protecting herself. Even though Sugar had no right to be there she still needed to be protected and Noah doesn't really blame her for being angry that her wife didn't even realise that.

"You should have told me she was back" Shelby states in a low, serious voice. "I'm your whitelighter, I should know what's going on" she adds.

"You're right, I'm sorry" Noah murmurs. "Things have been a little crazy...and they still are i guess" he jokes weakly and Shelby smirks with a nod. "I should have seen this coming but I haven't had a premonition in weeks and there's been a few times that having one would have been pretty handy" the man explains.

"Your powers are linked to your emotions, if your emotions are all over the place then it wouldn't be shock to know that your powers are" Shelby says calmly. "But we need to fix that, and soon. A witch was caught this morning, her execution is scheduled for tomorrow morning" she tells him gently. "She's one of my charges, Tina Cohen-Chang"

"My god Shelby, I'm sorry. We'll do everything that we can to get her out of there, I promise you" Noah replies sincerely, his hazel eyes sympathetic.

"No, you can't. It's too risky, if you get caught then you will be in the same position as her. I'm only telling you because I need you to know how serious this is, I don't think you guys realise the gravity of this situation. The elders have forbidden every whitelighter from attempting to rescue their charges once they are in the prison, they're scared that our existence will be found out" Shelby says gravely.

"We can try without using our powers, she's Rachel's friend" Santana states as she walks into the kitchen, looking flustered. "We need to try, we need to fight this...we can't accept that we should die for having powers. We're being threatened for saving the world from evil, that's not right. It's not cool and I won't allow it"

"San.."

"No, Noah. We need to do something, I'm not okay with raising my children in a world where one of them is perceived as evil" the latina snaps. "We need to fight..and I'm going to. I will not lose my family" she adds evenly and Shelby studies her carefully.

"It's good to have you back" Shelby murmurs and Santana offers her a small smile.

"It's good to be back"

_**To be continue.. Please review.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so much for your reviews for the last chapter and for your patience while waiting for this chapter. I promise to do my absolute best to update this story more regularly!**_

_**R&R please. Flashbacks are in italics.**_

Chapter 8

-13 years ago-

_Maribel watches silently as her oldest child leads the three teenage blondes in the livingroom, frowning slightly at Sam's black eye and asking herself why she hadn't thought of doing this until now. They had been in the system for most of their life but only in hers for the last six months and Maribel wishes they had told her that they had ran away, she would have taken them in instantly. Now that Quinn is eighteen, Maribel knows that someone as independent as her won't want to live in someone's spare bedroom with her siblings so she hopes that the stubborn girl will listen to the plan she has thought up. She glances at Brittany, the young thirteen year old had been a great friend to Santana lately, the fourteen year old had grown extremely protective of the quiet blonde. As soon as this thought enters her mind, Santana barrels down the stairs and flies passed her Mother to comfort Brittany, ignoring everyone else in the room. A weary sigh leaves her lips as she notices Rachel standing at the bottom of the staircase, rubbing her tired eyes with one hand while her teddy bear hangs from the other._

_"Sweetheart, it's late. You should be in bed" Maribel gently chastises her and the girl pouts. "Alright..five minutes and then you're going back to bed" the woman sighs, lifting the four year old into her arms._

_"I'm gonna put some pizza on" Noah mutters as he brushes passed them and makes his way to the kitchen, Maribel nodding and moving to sit down on her armchair with Rachel in her lap._

_"Thank you for this, Mrs Lopez" Sam states politely._

_"It's Maribel, you know that and don't thank me.. I have a few things I want to say to you three" Maribel replies sternly._

_"Mami.." Santana begins, embarrassed that her mother is about to lecture their friends._

_"You can sit there quietly, Santana! I know that you have been aware of this for a few weeks now..you're in just as much trouble as they are" the older witch states firmly. "You can stay down here as long as you are quiet..if you interrupt me again then you will just be going back to bed" Maribel adds. Santana opens her mouth again only to falter when her mother sends her a withering glare, a glare that only a mother can send. "Why on earth would you not come to me? Had I known you had been sleeping on the streets I would have brought you here immediately" she states, directing most of her attention to Sam. He may be younger than Quinn but he is the one who thinks more responsibly or so Maribel thought._

_"That's why we didn't" Quinn tells her quietly. "I'm eighteen ma'am..I want to be able to take care of Sam and Brittany. I guess I was just a little naive and thought that I'd be able to find a suitable job and apartment quickly" she admits with a blush._

_"Maribel" the woman corrects. "I understand that you want to look after them without relying on other people but, obviously, that is not possible at the moment. You are witches and you need to have a roof over your head..a place to make your potions and to cast your spells and to sleep! You will move in with us for now, Quinn you will work with me at the bookstore. Once you prove to me that you are able to live on your own, I will help you find an apartment, nearby, for the three of you" Maribel informs the young woman in front of her as she absent mindedly twirls locks of Rachel's soft hair around her finger._

_"One person's income isn't going to be enough to pay rent for an apartment big enough for the three of us" Sam notes. "I'll need to find a job too"_

_"You're not old enough to get a job" Quinn argues. "You need to finish high school, you're not dropping out" she tells him firmly._

_"When I say, help you out..I mean that I will help with rent" Maribel interrupts._

_"No, I'm sorry Mrs..Maribel, it's a very generous offer but we can't accept that" Quinn responds seriously. _

_"Well it's too bad you don't have a choice in the matter" Maribel tells her matter of factly. "Magical beings stick together and I plan on helping you. You either accept my conditions or I call social services..I will not have children sleeping on the streets" she says severely._

_"Mami, you can't just threaten them!" Santana cries incrediously, terrified at the thought of Brittany going back into the system._

_"Upstairs, Santana. Take your sister with you" Maribel orders, placing Rachel on her feet and urging her in the direction of her older sister with a gentle swat. "You were warned, Santana" she adds, watching as both of her daughters leave the room, trying to work out which one is sulking more._

_"Thank you" Brittany whispers and Maribel smiles kindly at her._

_"That is the response to my offer that I wanted to hear" the woman tells her, winking at her. "Why don't you go join Santana, I'm sure she will be more than happy to lend you some pajamas to wear. We'll go to the mall tomorrow to get you some clothes of your own" she explains and Brittany nods timidly before chasing after her friend. _

_"It's a lot of money" Quinn whispers._

_"It's not about money, Quinn. Sometimes, you have to ignore your pride to look after your family and this is one of those times" Maribel explains gently. "If it stops you from worrying then I'm happy to tell you that money is not an issue..there is more than enough to for us to live extremely comfortably. The only reason you are working with me is because you keep refusing to go to college and you still need to do something with your life. The bookshop is not forever, it's just for now. I'm happy to help you out but you will be treated the same as my children..you must make an effort" she tells them both, sensing Noah standing in the doorway. "Noah, show Sam to your room and help him with the blow up mattress" she tells her son._

_"I'll make an effort, I promise" Quinn murmurs as soon as the boys are out of earshot, even though Sam could still hear if he wanted to. He has enough respect for his sister to tune her thoughts out, no matter how hard it can sometimes be._

_"I know you will" Maribel smiles. "You'll be in the guest bedroom. I suggest you get some sleep, Rachel gets up with the sun and even those of us are used to her loud singing can't always sleep through it" she chuckles. Maribel stands up and moves to the laundry room to grab some fresh sheets, shocked when Quinn stops her and wraps her arms around her in a quick but tight hug._

_"Thank you" the teenager whispers._

_"Of course, sweetheart" the older woman smiles tenderly. "Now, come on...let's get your bedroom ready for you..it's late" Maribel states maternally, ushering Quinn upstairs. On her way passed Santana's bedroom, she peeks through the gap of the ajar door and beams at the sight of Santana and Brittany snuggled together, fast asleep. "Those girls will be together forever, I just know it" she murmurs to herself before closing the door properly and following Quinn down the hall to the guest bedroom._

_**To be continued...Thank you for reading :) Please review.**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews for this story so far. As far as I can tell there isn't much interest for this story so please let me know if you are interested in reading more of this. :)**_

_**Flashbacks are in italics.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 9

Quinn massages her temples with her fingers as she desperately attempts to block out the overload of emotions that are attacking her mind. She can feel the betrayal and anxiety coming from Sugar in huge waves and she is tempted to ask the woman to leave but knows that would just make Sugar feel even worse. The worst feeling is the anger coming from Ryan, the little boy absolutely furious about having to stand in the corner after blowing up the apple Santana had given him. Quinn also feels the strong craving for candy that the little boy has..most likely why he blew up the apple. While Quinn is sure that Sugar's emotions are actually stronger, the magical and blood connection between she and Ryan makes it feel as though his is stronger than his step-mother's.

"Why don't you go get some air, we're still waiting on Rachel to join us" Shelby suggests kindly, the whitelighter noticing how much Quinn is struggling.

"There's really no point, I might as well try to get used to it...it doesn't seem like anything is going to calm down anytime soon" Quinn sighs, watching as Santana walks into the livingroom, glancing at her son in the corner as she makes her way to the sofa and slumps down next to Quinn. "He's still mad" the blonde murmurs and Santana rolls her eyes, knowing there's no point bringing him out just yet if he is still worked up. Quinn winces when she feels Santana's exhaustion hit her.

"Sorry" Santana mutters but Quinn waves her off, she can't help how she feels. She rolls her eyes when Sugar wanders into the livingroom, just what she needed...Sugar's emotions in the same small space as her.

"Calm down or you won't be getting out of there anytime soon!" Sugar scolds when she catches sight of Ryan's furious face.

"Yeah..because that'll help him calm down" Santana mutters sarcastically, not bothered in the slightest by the sour look that her wife sends her as she stands up and approaches her son. "Hey buddy" she murmurs softly as she kneels down beside him. "You remember when I told you that we can't use our powers all the time...how they need to be secret?" the mother questions gently and Ryan nods. "I know you wanted candy and I know that you're mad that I said no but throwing a tantrum and using your powers isn't going to help, sweetheart. That's why you're in time-out, do you understand?" Santana glances back at Quinn who nods, he is calming down.

"Yes, Mama" he whispers sadly.

"So, are you ready to come and sit with us now?" Santana asks him quietly and he nods, accepting the warm, tight hug his Mama gives him before following her over to the sofa and sitting between her and his aunt Quinn. Santana keeps her attention on her son as the others finally join them, unable to bring herself to look up at Brittany even when the blonde kneels down in front of Ryan, her elbow brushing Santana's knee. Quinn feels a wave of sadness hit her and it takes her a moment to realise it's from her friend next to her and she glances at Santana, their eyes meeting briefly and Quinn gets the message; don't say a word. Quinn glances over at Sugar, wondering if the woman knows that her wife is still in love with Brittany.

_Santana sighs softly as she watches her brother push their little sister on the swings, the girl's adorable giggling bringing a soft smile to her face. She glances sideways at her mother who is sitting next to her on the bench, noticing that the older woman is studying her and she forces her gaze back to her siblings._

_"You miss Brittany, huh?" Maribel states knowingly and Santana almost laughs, her mother could always tell what she was thinking._

_"Yeah" Santana sighs. "I know it's dumb, they're only a block away but I guess I just got used to her being in the same house" she shrugs and Maribel notices her daughter's use of the word 'her'...not 'them'_

_"I know what you mean, mija" she says softly as Santana lays her head on her shoulder. The teenager watches her sister, envying how carefree she is as she works up the courage to tell her mother something that she has wanted to tell her for months._

_"I love her, Mami" Santana murmurs, frowning as she chews on her bottom lip. There..she had done it..there's nothing else she can do now._

_"I know" Maribel responds softly._

_"No, I mean...I love her, I'm in love with her, Mami. She loves me too" the younger latina explains._

_"I know" her mother repeats._

_"You know? Why didn't you say something?" Santana asks in confusion, moving her head from the woman's shoulder and sitting up straight so she can look at her properly._

_"It's not my place to bring it up, mija. The only person who gets to vocalise your sexuality is you..nobody else has the right to tell you who you are" Maribel tells her kindly._

_"I don't know if I'm...gay. All I know is that I love her and I want to be with her" Santana murmurs, her brow furrowing._

_"That's all you need to know" Maribel states, placing her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "You don't need to know everything right now...that's what the rest of your life is for; learning from your experiences...don't be in such a rush to grow up" she adds gently._

_"Thank you, Mami" Santana whispers and she leans into her mother, Maribel's arms wrapping around her tightly._

_"Don't ever thank me for loving you. I loved you from the moment I knew you were coming, you were born to love whoever deserves your love and it doesn't change a damn thing"_

0-00-0

Santana chases after Sugar as the small brunette storms down the garden path, gently grasping her wrist in an attempt to stop her.

"Sugar.. Please!" Santana pleads, wincing when her wife whips around to face her, surprised by the fury on her features. "Why did you walk out? You said you wanted to be kept in the loop and the only safe way for you to do that is to be at the meetings" Santana states quietly. "Is this because I don't want you coming out with us at night? Because you know I can't have that..even if someone was here with the kids it's still not safe" she reasons.

"Yes it's about that and it's about Brittany!" Sugar yells, "You saved her from that monster!"

"Sugar, keep your damn voice down! You can't yell about that stuff when there's a fucking witch hunt going on!" Santana whispers harshly. "We already talked about that, it was just a damn reaction and if you hadn't have snuck out to spy on us then this wouldn't be an issue" she adds angrily.

"It's not even just that! You still have feelings for her, I can see it...everybody can see it and I'm the one that looks like an idiot for being married to someone that loves another woman!" Sugar snaps.

"What? Babe..I love you..I'm _in_ love with you" Santana states in a much softer tone. "Yeah, there's still feelings between Brittany and I but it's our history...there's a lot there but I married _you_, I'm in love with _you_. I'm sorry about last night, I really am and I wish I could go back and change what happened but I can't. I would not have let anything happen to you, I swear to you I wouldn't have. It was just a reflex...you weren't supposed to be there" she explains, not really sure if she actually believes her own words and guilt almost crushes her but she continues. "You're my wife and the mother of my daughter and I love you both so, so much. Brittany is always going to be in our life, I know it's hard but she has to be around us..for Ryan's sake and for the sake of keeping us all alive"

"She's going to visit us once we're back in New York?" Sugar asks incredulously. "I hope you don't expect me to be okay with her crashing on our couch" she adds haughtily.

"Babe.. we can't go back to New York..I have to be here. I can't leave them again, we need to be together, people are _burning_ our kind...we can't be seperated" Santana murmurs.

"No. We are going back to New York once you have rescued this Tina girl, we're not staying here" Sugar retorts.

"I can't leave. Come on, babe..don't you understand how hard it was for me to leave the first time? I can't just abandon them again...they need me and I need them..Ryan needs them" Santana states. "Please, you have to understand" she adds pleadingly.

"_You_ may not be going back to New york but _we_ will"

_**To be continued... Thank you for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated. :)**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Just wondering, is anyone actually reading this apart from a few of my friends? Let me know if you are so that I know to keep writing it :)**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 10

"What?" Santana asks louder than she intended. "What the hell are you saying?" she demands and Sugar sighs, looking away from her, her jaw set as she stares down the block at nothing in particular. "Sugar, what do you mean?"

"If you don't want to come back to New York with Lydia and I then that is your choice" Sugar states quietly. "I wish I could make you change your mind but I know you well enough to know that once your mind is made up, there is no changing it" she sighs and Santana stares at her incredulously. "I know I can't take Ryan with me, as much as I view him as my son..I know he's not. I know that he has Brittany now and I'm sorry but I want our life back..our life in New York!" Sugar tells her wife seriously.

"So, just let me get this straight..if I don't want to go back to New York, you're just forget about me and Ryan and leave with _our_ daughter?" Santana questions in a low dangerous voice. "I'm just as much Lydia's mother as you are, we're married..my name is on her birth certificate and I've been her mother since before she was actually born" she states furiously.

"Then choose her. We're leaving at the end of the week, I sincerely hope you and Ryan are with us" Sugar tells her seriously before turning on her heel and walking back into the house. Santana feels calming waves wash over her before she can even react to her wife's ultimatum and she whips around to face Quinn, the blonde woman slowly approaching her.

"You heard all that?" Santana asks and Quinn shakes her head.

"Just the last part" Quinn murmurs. "She went upstairs, her emotions aren't so crushing right now" she jokes weakly.

"Can I use your attic?" Santana suddenly asks. Quinn eyes her curiously for a moment before glancing back at the house, spotting Sam at the window and he nods at her.

"You want to summon her?" Quinn asks, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. I know we're not supposed to, for Rachel's sake but she's not a child anymore. I thought she was but I came home to find that my kid sister is no longer a kid, I think we need to summon her and find out what she thinks and then...she can help"

0-00-0

Noah glances at Rachel when they all hear Santana's bedroom door slam, the siblings both looking concerned. He glances at Brittany and Ryan, Quinn isn't needed for any of them to know Brittany is feeling awkward and uncomfortable.

"Quinn wants us to start without them, she's going for a walk with Santana. I'll fill them in when they get back" Sam murmurs as he slumps down onto one of the armchairs. Noah nods and casually slings his arm around Rachel's shoulders, offering her some reassurance but being careful about it...he's not in the mood for another one of Rachel's 'I am not a child' lectures.

"What's up, Shelby? Why the meeting?" Brittany asks, looking up from the game she is playing with Ryan for a brief second before turning most of her attention back to the little boy.

"It was Sam and Noah that called it, actually" the whitelighter states as she leans against the wall. "I'm gonna go ahead and assume it's about Tina and I'm also gonna assume that Will disagreed with whatever you're about to say because he's always here for meetings" Shelb says knowingly as the two men share a sheepish look.

"We want to try and save Tina" Noah states. "I know it's risky and I know if we succeed then there's a big chance that we might blow our own cover but she's seventeen and she's one of us. There are people out there who want to wipe our entire race off of the planet, if we don't fight back or at least try to help others like us..then we may as well just join in and start attacking witches" he explains passionately.

"I agree" they all turn to look at Rachel when they hear her soft voice. "She's my friend and I don't want her to die. I especially don't want her to die just be used as an example to all of us, to show every witch that their powers are something are something they will die for. My mother is dead because she fought for us, I won't allow her death to be meaningless" Rachel tells them sharply. "When you go, I'm coming with you" she adds firmly.

"I don't think that's a good idea" Brittany interrupts. "I agree with everything that you're saying, I don't want Ryan to grow up in this world but you're not strong enough, Rach. Santana's powers are stronger and I don't think she's gonna let you go. She'd sit here all night while the rest of us went if it meant she was stopping you from going" the blonde explains gently.

"Yeah, you're not going" Noah tells her firmly. "If this goes wrong then I can't have you there" he adds. "I'm not risking it"

"It's not your decision to make, Noah!" Rachel responds haughtily, her voice raising in pitch.

"Actually, it is" he retorts. "You're under eighteen, I'm your guardian so you will do whatever the hell I tell you and I'm telling you, you are not going" he states severely. He watches as his sister abruptly stands and storms out of the room, her bedroom door slamming closed a few moments later and they can hear Lydia's cries echo down the stairs. "That went well" he mutters dryly.

"I appreciate your reasons for doing this but I can't be there with you" Shelby says gently. "Whitelighters are forbidden from interfering, they'll clip my wings if I go with you and then I will definitely be useless to the fight" she adds.

"You're staying here to make sure Rachel doesn't follow us" Noah tells her. "And to keep an eye on Sugar, she left the kids here on their own just because she felt a little left out, someone responsible has to be here incase it goes wrong" he states, his tone of voice informing everyone that he is deadly serious. "Can you go find Santana please? She's probably the only one who can talk some sense into Rachel right now"

"Of course"

0-00-0

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Santana sighs as she hears Quinn ask her this for the fifth time in the last ten minutes.

"I'm more than sure" she responds. "Quit asking" Santana scowls. She tugs on the rope and pulls the steps down from the attic hatch, screwing her face up when dust showers down on them. "She'll know what to do...she always did" the latina murmurs as she climbs up into the attic, ignoring the musty smell and refraining herself from complaining about the mess her clothes are going to get in.

"We don't use it much" Quinn comments as she follows her friend into the dark room. "We normally use yours..it's bigger and you guys have more stuff" she adds, reaching out and flicking the light on.

"We only need candles and crystals" Santana replies quietly, obviously nervous about what she is going to do. Summoning someone from the afterlife is only to be done is severe emergencies, Santana figures the threat of extinction for all of their kind is definitely an emergency. She rips a piece of old parchment paper from a pile in the corner and grabs the pen that lays next to the book of Shadows, scribbling down a name in the centre of it; Maribel Lydia Grace Lopez. Quinn sets the crystals out, forming a circle in the middle of the small, dusty room before stepping backwards. "Stay" Santana murmurs, reassuring Quinn that she has a right to be here.

"What are you doing?" Santana visibly jumps when she hears Shelby's voice and she glares at the woman standing in the corner of the room, the blue orbs dying out around her.

"I'm summoning my mother" Santana states with confidence, confidence that she didn't know she had.

"Okay. You want me to leave?" Shelby asks and Santana is surprised, she had expected the whitelighter to object. "I'm here to guide and protect you, not dictate your actions" Shelby adds softly, receiving a small but grateful smile from Santana.

"You should stay" Santana mumbles before turning away from the two women and grabbing the nearest candle. Quinn and Shelby watch as the Latina drops down to her knees and lights the candle, burning the piece of paper as she murmurs the spell underneath her breath. Santana watches the centre of the circle expectantly, frowning when nothing happens. She turns to look at Quinn helplessly, the blonde chewing on her bottom lip, her attention quickly turning to the circle of crystals, her hazel eyes widening slightly. Santana follows her gaze and feels her heart abruptly begin to pummel her rib cage.

"Hello, Mija"

_**Let me know what you think and thank you for reading. To be continued...**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so, so much for the reviews for the last chapter and I'm sorry for the long wait. I'm so glad that to hear that so many of you are enjoying this. Thank you!**_

_**A/N - This chapter is a little shorter than I originally planned but there will be another update for this story soon, either tomorrow or Wednesday.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 11

Quinn isn't sure if the noise that leaves Santana's mouth is a laugh or a sob, she guesses it's a little of both. She watches silently as Santana stares at Maribel with wide, watery eyes, as though she can't quite believe that her mother is actually standing in front of her. Maribel's expression is one of awe. The teenager she was so unjustly ripped away from is no more, a fully grown, stunning woman stands in her place. Santana's face crumples as she lurches forward and throws her arms around her mother, Quinn and Shelby quietly leaving the attic as her sobs echo in the small room. Twelve years since she had last been able to see her, to smell her scent and feel her warm arms wrap around her. Twelve long years. Maribel holds her oldest daughter close to her body, feeling her tears against the crook of her neck as Santana tucks herself as close to her as physically is possible.

"Mommy" Santana whimpers, her voice small and scared.

"I'm here, mija. Mommy's here, my sweet girl" Maribel whispers tenderly, hot tears streaming from deep brown eyes that she had passed onto her daughters. Neither of them speak for a few moments, Maribel holding her child as they both softly cry. Maribel pulls back and places her hands on Santana's shoulders as she studies her, taking in everything. "You look so grown up, mija. You were always beautiful but now, now you are simply stunning" the woman murmurs. "Twenty seven years old already, I can't believe it. Motherhood suits you" she adds softly.

"How do you know?" Santana questions quietly.

"I've been watching over you, mija. I promised the three of you that I always would. I've been waiting for you to summon me, I wish you had done it sooner" Maribel whispers.

"I've missed you so much" Santana states in a small voice, engulfing her mother in a tight hug.

"I know, sweetheart. I've missed you so much too, I'm so proud of you. You've been so strong" Maribel praises. "Quinn Fabray, get your backside in here!" she suddenly demands. Santana chuckles softly as she pulls out of the hug, her Mami always knew when one of them were lingering, Quinn especially; she was never subtle. Maribel smiles softly when Quinn quietly climbs back into the attic, the blonde choking back a sob as the older woman strides forward and pulls her into a hug. "Why were you hiding out there? Trying to hide how skinny you are, huh?" Maribel questions her sternly.

"I just wanted to give you guys a moment to yourselves" Quinn whispers, still staring at the woman in awe.

"Well that is just ridiculous, you should be in here!" Maribel scolds, Santana nodding with a watery, genuine smile. "Are you eating properly? You're not letting your powers overpower you again, are you?" Quinn ducks her head shyly at the attention she is receiving, shrugging noncommitedly at the woman's question.

"That'll be a yes then" Maribel states. "Don't worry, we fix that" she smiles, hearing Santana's low chuckle and turning to face her. "And what are you laughing about, huh? We also have some things to discuss" Maribel tells her. It's Quinn's turn to laugh when she sees Santana's grin fall from her face.

0-00-0

Santana frowns as she walks into the kitchen to find Sugar at the table with Lydia and sipping on a mug of coffee. The latina sighs softly as she slumps down opposite her, needing a break from the crowded living room where Rachel is currently talking their mother's ear off.

"How come you're hiding in here?" Santana asks softly, even though she already knows the answer.

"You and your family need some time to themselves" Sugar shrugs, barely offering her wife a half glance.

"You're my wife, you're a part of my family...a big part of it" Santana states seriously.

"But you're happy for us to be apart" Sugar hisses across the table, her wife flinching at the animosity she sees in her eyes. "You're fine being away from Lydia and I" Sugar adds furiously.

"It's you that wants to leave. You were the one that gave me the ultimatum, not the other way around" Santana retorts. "You are threatening to leave with our child, you are the one being selfish...I'm trying to protect my family and you hate me for it" she adds in a whisper.

"I don't hate you, that's the whole damn problem! I love you with everything in me and you don't feel the same. I could see it, as soon as you and Brittany saw each other again...you don't love me" Sugar sighs, shaking her head sadly. Santana opens her mouth to argue but it cut off by the kitchen door opening, Maribel leading Ryan into the room by the hand. The older Lopez stops when she notices how Santana and Sugar are looking at each other.

"Sorry, we'll come back" Maribel apologises.

"No. It's fine" Sugar states miserably. "We're done here" she adds, standing up and placing Lydia into Santana's arms before shuffling out of the kitchen. Santana stays silent as her mother helps Ryan pour himself a glass of soda.

"Mami, it's a little late for him to have soda, give him some wa...nevermind" Santana trails off, noticing that the plastic cup is already filled with coke.

"Abuela said I could have it" Ryan informs his mother, afraid that Santana is going to take it from him.

"This is a one-off" Santana replies with a soft smile, leaning over to kiss his blonde head. "Why don't you go see what Aunt Rachel is doing" she suggests while Maribel sits down next to her, waiting until her son is out of the room before turning to her mother.

"Come here, beautiful" Maribel murmurs, taking Lydia out of Santana's arms and cradling the tiny girl close to her body.

"I love her Mami, I'm just.."

"Not _in_ love with her" Maribel states knowingly. "You've never looked at Sugar the same way you used to look at Brittany...the way you still look at Brittany. You need to fix this, mija" she tells her seriously but calmly.

"I thought I was in love with her..I really did. I love her and I love Lydia just as much as I love Ryan" Santana murmurs softly, a frown playing on her features.

"Of course you do, she's your daughter. I don't doubt that you love Sugar either" the older woman says quietly.

"What do I do, Mami?" Santana questions pleadingly.

"I can't tell you that" Maribel replies apologetically. "You are the only person who can make that decision. What I will say is, it's not fair to stay with someone you are not in love with" Santana nods and sighs softly as she leans back in her chair, listening to the cheerful laughing and talking that comes from the livingroom..easily picking out Brittany's voice.

"We need to deal with everything else first" Santana eventually says. "Ensuring we still have a future is more important"

"It's not much of a future if you're not spending it with the person you want to" her mother murmurs. "I'm not saying you should act on any impulses right now but you should at least think about who you want to be with, and does that person want to be with you"

_**To be continued.. Another update soon! Thank you for reading, please review.**_


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